The present invention relates to moveable power machinery. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling movement of a backhoe mounted on a vehicle.
Various types of implements have been designed to be mounted to vehicles thereby making the implement very versatile since it can be transported to the construction site. Backhoes are one such common implement and have been mounted to various vehicles such as tractors, articulated loaders and skid steer loaders. U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,740 discloses a pivotal attachment that allows a backhoe to be mounted to an articulated loader. The backhoe includes a subframe that is pivotally connected to a main frame of the vehicle about a transverse axis near one end of the main frame. An actuator is provided for selectively pivoting the backhoe mounting subframe between a working position and a transport position. Pivoting the backhoe and its subframe mounting to the working position allows the lowest part of the subframe and also the backhoe to be closer to the ground. Since the backhoe is located closer to the ground, it can dig deeper than previously known backhoes with the same length boom and dipper stick. In addition, when the backhoe is in the transport position, the center of gravity of the backhoe is farther forward than when it is in the working position. This transfers more of the backhoe weight toward the front of the machine giving the machine excellent balance which allows the operator to drive the machine on the highway at transport speed without undue bouncing.